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In a touching and emotional event that celebrated the spirit of resilience and unity, the National Center Caritas Sri Lanka commemorated the International Thalassemia Day on the 08th of May 2023. This event served as a platform for raising awareness about Thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, while also highlighting the importance of community support for…

Caritas Sri Lanka (CSL) organized an Environmental Management and Leadership Program for the youth in the Diocese of Chilaw under the “Stepping Stone to Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Natural Environment project” (SSEP). SSEP is a project implemented by Caritas Sri Lanka with the goal of creating an environmentally conscious community through advocating and lobbying against all…

The Facebook page, “Lighting the lives of the Plantation People” (LLPP) was launched on 25 October 2022 by Caritas Sri Lanka – SEDEC. The arrival of the first batch of Indian Origin Tamil Speaking workers took place from 1823 to 1824. They were brought in from South India as labourers by the British to work on…

An awareness session for clergy of the Diocese of Kandy was conducted on 4th of April 2023 at the Fatima Retreat House Lewella, Kandy with the aim of highlighting the social issues of the Plantation community and the mission of the church leaders in addressing the causes of structural discrimination that the plantation community (Malaiyaga…

On the request made to Caritas Sri Lanka – SEDEC by His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, CSL-SEDEC donated dental material to be used in Colombo school dental services, and the Oral Health Units, through the Health Services in Colombo. Due to the scarcity of medicines in the country, this donation will help in the screening…

A discussion was held on 16th of March 2023 at the Caritas Sri Lanka, SEDEC Auditorium to seek support and collaborations from the Colombo based media institutions, to highlight the issues faced by the plantation communities in Sri Lanka. In 2023/24, Sri Lankans would remember and commemorate the 200 years of arrival of the plantation community…

Caritas Sri Lanka – SEDEC organized a study session on the 13th amendment to the constitution on, which was conducted by Mr. Suren Gnanaraj, Counsel – Attorney-at-Law with the participation of Rev. Fathers and Catholic Nuns representing different congregations. The program was facilitated by Rev. Fr. Bennette Mellawa, Director- Caritas Anuradhapura who highlighted during the…

Validation of the research on Challenges and Future Directions of Children’s Education Rights in Plantation Communities of Sri Lanka was held on 9th of March from 2.00pm to 5.00pm at the Caritas SEDEC upper conference Hall. The research is one of the major activities under the “Lighting the Lives of Plantation People” Program (LLPP) with…

Three Village Level Environmental Children’s Groups (VLECGs) were formed in selected villages under SSEP in Mannar District. A group of 155 children from VLECGs were taken for an educational exposure tour on 13th February 2023. The main objective of this exposure visit is to educate children about natural resources and the importance of conserving natural…

Climate change is an inherent social issue that can upset anyone’s life in countless ways. Climate change is causing different social, economic, and public health issues on all the communities around the world. Therefore, advocating for climate justice by the local communities is the most essential solution to this worsening scenario. On that note, ‘Stepping…

“Stepping Stone to Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Natural Environment” (SSEP) is a project implemented by Caritas Sri Lanka in all its 13 DCs from January 2022. It is a three-year project funded by Misereor with the goal of forming environmental sensitive empowered communities. The project will assist the selected communities who face the effects of environmental…

Formation of Governing Body of the National Civil Society Organization Forum was held on the 11th of February 2023 at Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC Auditorium.  This event was held in connection with the creation of CSO forums in the first year in all the five Plantation Dioceses such as Kandy, Badulla, Ratnapura, Galle and Colombo.…

We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the devastating earthquakes in both Turkey and Syria.We at Caritas Sri Lanka and all our Diocesan counterparts remember those who have died and have been affected by the disaster, in prayer.We pray that the people of Turkey and Syria remain united and strong in ardent hope,…

His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Brian Udaigwe, the Apostolic Nunciature and the diplomatic mission of the Holy See (Vatican) to Sri Lanka handed over the medicines to Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health today on Friday, the 13th of January 2023 with the presence of directors and officers…

An awareness session for the major Religious Superiors of the CMRS on the social issues of the plantation community in Sri Lanka was held Monday 28 November, 2022 at the Good shepherd Vocational Training Centre at Bolawalana in Negombo. Rev. Fr. Luke Nelson, Director of Caritas Sri Lanka- SEDEC (CSL) delivered a speech on plight of plantation community…

  “There is so much indifference in the face of suffering, May we overcome indifference with concrete acts of charity” – Pope Francis  Background Sri Lanka is currently going through the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. Years of economic mismanagement, corruption, short-sighted policy making, and overall lack of good governance left Sri Lanka…

The Executive Director of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Mr. Senthil Kumar visited CODESEP ( Community Development Service for Plantation) in the Ratnapura Dioceses on a fact-finding mission from 5th and 6th December 2022. Rev. Fr. Luke Nelson , Director, Caritas Sri Lanka , Rev. Fr Lasantha Fonseka, Director ,Caritas Sed Galle and Rev. Fr. Anthony…

Mangrove forests are unique eco-systems that have ecological, biological, and socio-economic functions. These types of plants play a vital role in maintaining the equilibrium of the eco-system and ensure the stability of our world. Mangroves are nature’s fundamental barrier against soil erosion, an ideal place for sea plant growth, and a refuge for fish, and…

Mandaitivu Maha Vidyalayam is a government secondary school located in Jaffna District. There are 200-250 students studying in the school. Under the ‘Stepping Stone to Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Natural Environment’ (SSEP) project by Caritas- HUDEC Jaffna an Environmental Children’s Group was formed in this school. However, the students faced severe drinking water problems here since…

The SSEP Annual and Project design meetings were held on the 5th and 6th of December 2022 at the St. Jhon Mary Vianney Clergy house, Bulutota, with the participation of 45 project coordinators and field officers. In addition, a few Diocesan Directors from Colombo, Jaffna, Kandy, Kurunegala and Rathnapura were also present during the two-day…